French Phase 2, Units 1-30: Learn to Speak and Understand French with Pimsleur Language Programs

French Phase 2 includes 15 hours of spoken language practice and one additional hour of reading instruction, and is designed to be used after completing Phase 1. In the first 10 lessons of Phase 2, you begin to use the past tense. Structures become more complex and informal speech is introduced.

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Publisher's Summary

Can learning another language be as easy as speaking your own? Yes - with Pimsleur it’s that easy. Learn on your own time, at your own pace, and wherever you choose. French Phase 2 includes 15 hours of spoken language practice and one additional hour of reading instruction, and is designed to be used after completing Phase 1.

In the first 10 lessons of Phase 2, you begin to use the past tense. Structures become more complex and informal speech is introduced. Conversations become fuller, and learners are able to discuss business and social activities, manage shopping situations, and express their interests. As you progress, vocabulary is expanded and fluency increases.

The next 10 lessons of Phase 2 allow you to further combine and build upon known elements, and produce longer and more complex sentences. You learn to bargain with shopkeepers, deal with business situation, get and give medical information, and discuss the weather.

In the final 10 lessons of Phase 2, you’ve doubled your vocabulary and have several hundred structures to draw upon. You’ll gain experience asking for assistance, finding a location that is some distance away, and using relative structures – faster, slower, etc. Sports and leisure activities are explored, as well as shopping, changing money, and future travel plans. By the end of Phase 2, you’re speaking at a mid-intermediate level with near-native pronunciation, and you are comfortable meeting most social demands and limited job requirements.

Reading Lessons are included at the end of Unit 30. These lessons, which total about one hour, are designed to give you practice reading French, and to provide you with some insight into French culture with proverbs, common expressions, and a broad look at things you’ll see when visiting a French-speaking country. A Reading Booklet to be used with the audio lessons is also included in PDF format.

What the Critics Say

"Pimsleur programs provide plenty of positive reinforcement that will keep learners on track, and we found that Pimsleur gave us more proficiency and confidence in speaking the new language than any of the other language programs we reviewed." (AudioFile magazine)

Took a college french class and no one could understand a work I said in French at the end of the class. This helped me say the words and not worry about spelling or grammar. The french have an annoying way of not pronouncing the end of most words and conjugated verbs all sound alike to me. Pimsleur just put them in sentences I could understand then reviewed them often. This worked out so well I eventually bought Phase 1, 2 and 3. Now I can actually carry on a very basic conversation and understand a fair amount of conversation in french. I did listen to each section every day and sometimes repeated the section. French does not sink into your head automatically, but if you just listen and repeat lessons each day it is pretty amazing what sticks. I did dishes, laundry, went to the market or ran errands while listening. Made boring chores more interesting and learned basic French.

What made the experience of listening to French Phase 2, Units 1-30 the most enjoyable?

Very well done and well organized for the most part.

What did you like best about this story?

I can understand spoken French now better than I ever did in school.

Have you listened to any of the narrator’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Not quite as good as Phase 1 in terms of organization- occasionally asks you to say things that haven't been taught yet. The most difficult and frustrating issue is that unlike Phase 1, a whole series of 15 lessons is in one stretch, so you cannot hit back and go back to the beginning of a unit. If you hit return, it takes you back to the beginning of the entire series. Also because of this, you cannot tell how many minutes are left in a session- which makes it difficult to know if you have time to finish a lesson. I have learned a lot of conversational French from these units, but wish they would format Phase 2 lessons in the same way that they did Phase 1 lessons.

Would you consider the audio edition of French Phase 2, Units 1-30 to be better than the print version?

I used the Pimsleur French méthode audio (1-3) during my 30-minute commute for two years prior to traveling to Languedoc and Provence. My language skills were basic, but I was able to communicate with people, which greatly enhanced my enjoyment of vacationing in France. FYI, I was even complimented for my accent.

After returning to Hawai'i, I eventually took first semester French in college, which helped me begin to write French and better understand French grammar, but I was way too advanced for first semester. I should have started with second semester French.

I have a BA in Spanish, so I understand the language-aquisition process, and Pimsleur is effective for dedicated learners. It is by far my favorite méthode audio.

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